The Library Lady

Posted September 8, 2013 by Maggie Davidov

All stereotypes come from somewhere. This, we all know to be true. How many of us, though, work with all of our might to confound the stereotype when it comes to being a librarian? I believe that many of us do. We despise the stereotype that all librarians are surly wenches with their hair wound so tight it seems as if it never gets let down. We counter that librarians are a force for positive change in this world of information overload, not the gatekeepers of dusty, musty books. Then I ask you why, why oh why does every librarian I know own a cat?! Now, before I am pegged as the cat-hater in GSLIS let me first just say that I myself just got a kitty at the Animal Rescue League of Boston. Her name is Eva. She jumps on my face. She naps on my tummy and her arch nemesis is a ball of tin foil I rolled off the counter a few nights ago. I am quite the opposite of the naysayer. In fact, I’m loving this particular stereotype. But the question I posed earlier is still festering: Why are we, as a profession, drawn to cats? Why do cats go so well with books and moreover, technology? Every time I turn a page I know Eva is ready to pounce. My ipad is a source of constant fascination for her. And don’t even get me started on how she began pulling books off the shelf last night (she picks out King Lear, A Raisin in the Sun, and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie). I’m bumfuzzled! I bring this question up mainly because it’s something to ponder as we go through our time here at GSLIS. What about the stereotype of our profession is just plain wrong, and what is just plain FABULOUS! Nothing is ever black and white, and I’m sure one day I will find a librarian without a cat. But until that day arrives just think about it: How will you confound expectations? How will you deliver way more than is expected of you by a patron? How will you embrace some of that stereotype and just dance like a kitty cat!